City of Deltona

2345 Providence Blvd.

Deltona, FL 32725

Minutes

Special City Commission Meeting

Monday, April 8, 2024

7:45 PM

Deltona Commission Chambers

DECORUM POLICY: The City of Deltona has a significant interest in conducting

orderly and efficient public meetings, which includes preventing disruption,

promoting civility, and preserving decorum. To that end, behavior which disrupts or

impedes the efficient and orderly conduct of any public meeting, as determined by

the Mayor, or presiding officer, or a majority of the City Commission, is not

permitted. The Mayor, or presiding officer, or a majority of the City Commission, may

interrupt, warn, or terminate a speaker’s statement when that statement is too

lengthy, personally directed, abusive, obscene, irrelevant, or otherwise reasonably

perceived to be a disruption to the fair and orderly progress of the discussion at

hand. The Mayor, or presiding officer, or a majority of the City Commission, may also

interrupt any part of the meeting to warn any individual that they are being

disruptive or otherwise impeding the efficient and orderly conduct of the meeting.

The Mayor, or presiding officer, or a majority of the City Commission, may require

any individual to leave a public meeting for its duration if that individual is unable to

observe this Policy after being warned. Should an individual be required to leave a

meeting for violating this Policy, that person shall be escorted from Commission

Chambers by a Volusia Sheriff’s Deputy.

1. CALL TO ORDER:

The meeting was called to order at 7:46 p.m. by Mayor Avila.

2. ROLL CALL – CITY CLERK:

Present:7 -

Mayor Avila

Vice Mayor JodyLee

Commissioner Avila-Vazquez

Commissioner Colwell

Commissioner Heriot

Commissioner McCool

Commissioner Shimkus

3. PLEDGE TO THE FLAG:

4. BUSINESS:

Final selection of the City Manager candidates by the City Commission.

Interim City Manager Glenn Whitcomb gave a brief overview of the item.

Mayor Avila noted that Candidate Silverman withdrew his application for City Manager.

Lynelle Klein of Colin Baenziger and Associates read out the scores each applicant

received from the City Manager Selection Committee (CMSC). The Committee choice

from highest preference to least was: Scott Andrews (19), Dale Dougherty (29), Michael

Silverman (50), Terry Suggs (51), Carmen Davis (54), Christopher Miller (60), Robin Hayes

(62), and Jason Glenn (71). In this case, the lower scores indicate higher preference.

The Commission, staff, and Mrs. Klein discussed the CMSC recommendation, a candidate

meeting with the Interim City Manager, interviewing candidates, showing up, the meet &

greet, appreciating the CMSC, hiring influence, policies and procedures, communicating

with the CMSC, and public appearance.

Mayor Avila opened the public comments and Elbert Bryan addressed the City

Commission.

The Commission discussed the City Attorney interview format and the Saturday interview

process.

Motion by Commissioner Shimkus, seconded by Commissioner

Avila-Vazquez, to accept the Committee's recommendation and invite

the top 5 to come in for an interview this weekend. The motion carried

by the following vote:

For: 7 -

Mayor Avila, Vice Mayor JodyLee, Commissioner

Avila-Vazquez, Commissioner Colwell, Commissioner Heriot,

Commissioner McCool, and Commissioner Shimkus

Discussion regarding the City Manager interview process.

The Commission discussed timing, citizen involvement, and the City tour for candidates.

The City Clerk gave a brief description of the timeline for the City Manager interview

process.

The Commission, staff, and Mrs. Klein discussed extending the meet & greet to 8:00 p.m.,

who leads the City tour, public interviews, public comment, interview questions, soliciting

questions from the public, solving the City's issues, coming prepared, canned answers,

quick thinking, and adding additional meet & greets.

Mayor Avila opened the public comments and Elbert Bryan and Jim Pescha addressed the

City Commission.

The Commission, staff, and Mrs. Klein discussed soliciting questions from the public and

extending time for public comment.

After discussion, Commissioner McCool requested to extend public comment to

4 minutes on all City Manager related topics until this process is finished and

the Commission concurred.

The Commission, staff, and Mrs. Klein discussed breaking the cycle, doing what the

residents want, Commission attendance at the meet & greet, interacting with residents,

extending the meet & greet to 8:30 p.m., Deltona's unique issues, candidates' approach to

problems, pre-set questions, and interview freedom.

After discussion, Mayor Avila requested that the Commission be free to ask

whatever questions they have proposed and the Commission concurred.

The Commission, staff, and Mrs. Klein discussed interview length, voting at the April 15th

meeting, extending the timeline, being long-winded, and sticking to the provided schedule.

Discussion regarding the City Attorney and the future of that position.

The Interim City Manager gave a brief overview of the item.

The Commission and City Attorney discussed work-shopping the topic, hiring a larger firm,

institutional knowledge, resident perception, land development and use, the pass-through

ordinance, the volume of work to do, confidence, over-correcting, bringing back trust, more

legal help, issues with developers, proportionate fair share, taxpayers' costs, improvement,

accessibility, fresh eyes, wisdom and experience, personal attacks, the rumor mill, being

proactive, the previous law firm, soliciting the right help, an in-house attorney, billable hours,

team work, Charter Officers, loyalty, waiting for the new City Manager, firms we employ, too

much change at once, being short-staffed, City Attorney helping where needed, insurance

lawyers, Roper P.A., specialty attorneys, hiring a search firm, bringing item back to the

Commission, putting a plan in place, sustainability, consulting prior firms interviewed,

having a hybrid model, having a staff lawyer, and hiring paralegals.

Motion by Commissioner Shimkus, seconded by Commissioner Heriot,

to have the Interim City Manager reach out to the last two top ranked

firms and have them submit back whether they are still interested and if

their proposals have changed as well as reconsider this topic at a

workshop within the next 60 days.

The Commission discussed personal feelings, loyalty to the City, protecting the City,

outgrowing the previous law firm, other firms, land use codes, the Comprehensive Plan,

getting a fresh perspective, competency, things falling through the cracks, not waiting for a

"good time", and making the motion time specific.

Mayor Avila opened the public comments and Kathy Bryan, Carolyn Hickerson, and Elbert

Bryan addressed the City Commission.

The Commission and staff discussed starting the process, going out to bid, hiring in-house,

the new City Manager's input, timeline for seating new City Manager, poor follow through,

and headhunters.

Amended motion by Commissioner Shimkus, seconded by

Commissioner Heriot, to have the Interim City Manager reach out to the

last two top ranked firms and have them submit back whether they are

still interested and if their proposals have changed as well as to

reconsider this topic at the first meeting in May. The amended motion

carried by the following vote:

For: 5 -

Mayor Avila, Vice Mayor JodyLee, Commissioner Heriot,

Commissioner McCool, and Commissioner Shimkus

Against: 2 - Commissioner Avila-Vazquez, and Commissioner Colwell

5. PUBLIC FORUM: Time permitted, public comments shall be limited to items on the

agenda and shall not exceed two minutes. Please be courteous and respectful of the

views of others. Personal attacks on Commission members, City staff or members of

the public are not allowed, and will be ruled out of order by the Mayor.

6. CITY MANAGER COMMENTS:

The Interim City Manager reported that Finance Director Mari Leisen has tendered her

resignation effective April 16, 2024.

7. ADJOURNMENT:

There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 9:45 p.m.

______________________________

Santiago Avila, Jr., MAYOR

ATTEST:

________________________________

Joyce Raftery, CMC, MMC, CITY CLERK